Page 20 of Deceptive Vows
“You knew I’d followed you, didn’t you?” It came out less like a question and more like a statement.
“I did. Did you enjoy the show?”
“Very much. It’s not often a woman can back up her threats. I found your ability to do so quite…alluring.” He took a sip of his water, eyes never leaving mine. “To be honest, that’s what I admire most about you. In my line of work, having a woman close always means worrying about her safety. But with you? That’s not a concern.”
Something warm and unexpected unfurled in my chest. This wasn’t part of our charade—we were well out of earshot of anyone who might report back to Marco. Why did I find it exhilarating that he spoke like we were actually a couple?
“So you wouldn’t worry about me?” I kept my tone light despite the sudden weight of the conversation.
“Maybe some, but not as much as with a woman who couldn’t take care of herself.” His lips lifted in a small grin. “If you were…entangled with someone, would you worry about them?”
The question hit something raw inside me. When my mom was alive, all I did was worry. Men would beat her, use her, and throw her away. The memories of her were tumultuous. I never knew if I was a friend or an enemy. She never treated me like a child.
I didn’t realize I’d gone silent until Nazar tilted his head slightly, waiting.
My mind drifted to a memory I rarely allowed myself to revisit.
“Abigail, you know you don’t have to take care of Gianna. I’ll do it.” Ma tried to shoo me away from changingGianna’s pull-up.
I shrugged as I looked up at her. “I always cleaned up after my mom. She said it was my job to take care of her. I just thought…”
Ma knelt down next to me and took the pull-up. “Your job is to be a little girl. I appreciate you so much for wanting to help, but go play, my darling. I’ll change her.”
Hesitating, I chewed my lip. It’d only been about a week that I’d lived with Lucas’s family. I didn’t want them to not want me. My mom told me all the time that I had to earn my keep.
Gianna squealed and ran away sans pull-up, and Ma laughed. My mom would have… thrown a tantrum. She hated it when I was messy or disobedient.
“I…”
Ma took my face in her hands. “My darling, your job is to be a child now. Okay?”
“You won’t…” My voice faltered. “You won’t make me leave?”
She shook her head. “The moment you walked through my door, I knew you were sent to me. I prayed and prayed for another little girl to love, and here you are. So beautiful. So sweet and kind.”
I started to cry. Mom was unpredictable. When she was high or drinking, she could be mean. Other times, she’d be loving. I was always guessing, always worried. Always responsible. Always the adult.
Ma pulled me into a hug. “My sweet girl. It’s okay.” She held me out. “I’m not trying to take the place of your mother. I just want you to know how wanted you are. That you don’t have to do anything to be wanted.”
“Thea?” Nazar’s voice was gentle, as if he’d noticed my momentary absence.
“I’m sorry.” The lights from the skyline reflected in the crystal glasses between us.
“Where did you go?”
“Nowhere important.” I deflected with a shrug. These intimate memories were mine alone—though lately, they’d been surfacing more frequently. I picked up my fork, trying to regain my usual composure.
His gaze dropped to the table, then returned to me. There was something knowing in his look, something that suggested he understood far more than I intended to reveal. “I believe any entanglement of yours would be extraordinarily motivated to return to you.”
“You think so?” I lifted an eyebrow, grateful for the shift back to lighter territory. It was easier to flirt than admit how much I wanted to believe that.
“I know so.” His voice dipped low as he grinned, eyes neverleaving mine.
A shiver of desire danced down my spine, the first clear sign that perhaps I’d landed myself in a situation that would blow up in my face. A part of me screamed to back away slowly, but the wilder, more reckless side whispered, “bombs away.”
I took a sip of my drink, wondering which side would win.
Chapter Seven
